Wettable SMS material for personal protective equipment applications

ABSTRACT

A wettable SMS material for personal protective equipment, such as a SMS fabric that has been treated to improve the wettability and absorbency properties of the SMS fabric is provided. A treated SMS fabric for personal protective equipment can retain its durability, breathability, and comfort, and may also provide the fabric with wettability and absorption properties. An article for personal protective equipment formed from a wettable SMS fabric is also provided.

BACKGROUND

Health care professionals often wear personal protective equipment(PPE), such as a surgeon's cap, a gown, gloves, shoe covers, as well asother wearable personal protective equipment to prevent contact withhazardous materials including blood or other bodily fluids. In addition,health care professionals are often required to wear some personalprotective equipment, such as a head cover, gown, and gloves, forexample, to cover all or parts of their person to protect the sterileenvironment. However, many articles of personal protective equipmentinclude multiple layers of material which can trap heat and increasebulk.

Further, many personal protective equipment articles used duringprocedures are constructed of non-wettable materials. Particularly,materials such as spunbond or meltspun polyolefin materials, forexample, spunbond-meltspun-spunbond laminates (SMS materials or SMSfabrics) lack breathability and wettability, and may result in sweatingin various areas of the body due to stress, temperature, and/or personalpredisposition to perspiration. Thus, such articles may cause unsanitaryand uncomfortable situations during a surgery or procedure, as thematerial allows sweat to drip into the eyes and onto sterile surfaces,leading to higher risk for infection.

Consequently, there is a need for a material for personal protectiveequipment that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of existingmaterials used to form personal protective equipment. In particular, amaterial that meets the currents demands for durability and strengthwith improved breathability and/or wettability would be beneficial.Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a wettable materialsuitable for personal protective equipment that is also able to dryafter being wetted, and/or that is able to wick sweat away from the bodyof a user. It would also be a benefit to provide an article or articlesfor personal protective equipment that are at least partially formedfrom a wettable material suitable for personal protective equipment.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is generally directed to a wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) material for use in personalprotective equipment, and includes a wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate and a surfactant. The surfactantincludes an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, or combinationsthereof. The wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond material is configuredto dry after exposure to a liquid, and the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond material is configured to absorb a liquid.

In an additional or alternative embodiment, the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) material is configured to absorbliquid from a surface. In a further embodiment, the surface is skin.Moreover, in a further embodiment, the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) material includes a polyolefin basedpolymer. In yet a further embodiment, the surfactant is applied to thepolyolefin based polymer. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the polyolefinbased polymer is hydrophobic prior to application of the surfactant tothe polyolefin based polymer. Additionally or alternatively, thepolyolefin based polymer includes a polypropylene and random co-polymerresin.

In yet a further embodiment, the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond(SMS) material has a weight, and is capable of absorbing an amount ofthe liquid that is from about 1.5 times to about 4.5 times the weight ofthe wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) material. Additionally oralternatively, the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) materialforms all or a portion of a fabric, where the fabric has a basis weightof from about 10 grams per square meter (GSM) to about 60 GSM. Moreover,in an embodiment, the fabric has a permeability to air of from about 40cubic feet per minute (CFM) to about 62 CFM.

The present disclosure also generally contemplates an article for use inpersonal protective equipment that includes a wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric. The wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric includes aspunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate and a surfactant. The surfactantincludes an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, or combinationsthereof, and at least a portion of the article is configured to be incontact with the skin of a user in a donned position.

Additionally or alternatively, the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond(SMS) fabric has a weight, and is capable of absorbing an amount ofliquid that is from about 1.5 times to about 4.5 times the weight of thewettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric. In a furtherembodiment, the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric isconfigured to absorb the liquid from the skin of a user. In yet afurther embodiment, the spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate contains atleast about three layers, and the surfactant is contained in or on atleast two layers of the spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate.

In yet a further embodiment, the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond(SMS) fabric exhibits a drying rate of from about 2.5 mL/hr to about 4mL/hr. Moreover, in an embodiment, the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric has a permeability to air offrom about 40 CFM to about 62 CFM. Additionally or alternatively, thewettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric is configured toabsorb an amount of liquid of from about 1.25 grams to about 7.25 gramsper gram of the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric.

In yet a further embodiment, the article is a head cover, where at leasta portion of the head cover includes the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric, and where at least a portionof the head cover includes a spunbond fabric.

The present disclosure also generally contemplates a method of formingan article for use in personal protective equipment. The method includessaturating at least one side of a spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS)fabric with a surfactant, where the surfactant is a cationic surfactant,anionic surfactant, or combinations thereof; drying the surfactantsaturated spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric; processing thesurfactant saturated spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric; andforming a wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric.

Additionally or alternatively, the processing step includes at least oneantistatic treatment.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures, in which:

FIG. 1a is a view of a laminate according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 1b is a view of the laminate of FIG. 11a including a surfactantaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a back view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a head coveraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a head coveraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure that has been separated at the posterior seam 22 ofFIG. 11 and laid flat;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the head cover of FIG. 7 including elastic;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an embodiment of a head cover according tothe present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a back view of an embodiment of a head cover according to thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, notlimitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to a SMS material,such as a SMS fabric that has been treated to improve the wettabilityand absorbency properties of the SMS fabric. As discussed above, SMSfabrics display desirable properties for the formation of personalprotective equipment (PPE); however, SMS fabrics are generallyhydrophobic and water repellent. This may cause disruptive and/orunsanitary conditions during procedures, as sweat may drip down the faceor head of a clinician, potentially distracting the clinician andplacing the surgical site or procedure site at a higher risk forinfection. Therefore, it would be beneficial to utilize a SMS fabric forits desirable breathability and lightweight qualities, but where the SMSfabric is also capable of absorbing liquids. Thus, the present inventorshave found that by treating a SMS fabric with a surfactant, a wettableSMS fabric may be formed that retains the desirable qualities of the SMSfabric, including durability, but may also exhibit good liquidabsorbency and drying properties. For instance, a surfactant selectedaccording to the present disclosure may allow the wettable SMS fabric toretain its durability, breathability, and comfort, and may also providethe fabric with wettability and absorption properties in addition toaiding in reducing the surface tension of liquids that contact the SMSfabric.

Particularly, SMS fabric may be formed from a laminate of aspunbond-meltblown-spunbond material made from three separate layers.The separate layers may then be laminated to one another. Particularly,the number of layers, the materials used to form a SMS material, and thelamination, provides a durable fabric that is capable of providingsufficient structure to support a headlamp or any other accessories thatmight be worn about the crown of the head by a health care professional.The method of making the aforementioned materials is known and describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,203 to Brock, et al., which is incorporatedherein in its entirety by reference. The material of Brock, et al. is athree layer laminate of spunbond-meltblown-spunbond layers that is alsocommonly referred to by the acronym “SMS.” The two outer layers (e.g.,the innermost and outermost layer) of SMS are a spunbond material madefrom extruded polyolefin fibers, or filaments, laid down in a randompattern and then bonded to one another. The inner layer (or the middlelayer located between the two outer spunbond layers) is a meltblownlayer also made from extruded polyolefin fibers generally of a smallerdiameter than the fibers in the spunbond layers.

As a result, the meltblown layer provides increased barrier propertiesdue to its fine fiber structure, which permits the sterilizing agent topass through the fabric while preventing passage of bacteria and othercontaminants. Conversely, the two outer spunbond layers provide agreater portion of the strength factor in the overall laminate. Thelaminate may be prepared using an intermittent bond pattern that ispreferably employed with the pattern being substantially regularlyrepeating over the surface of the laminate. The pattern is selected suchthat the bonds may occupy about 5% to about 50% of the surface area ofthe laminate. Desirably, the bonds may occupy about 10% to about 30% ofthe surface area of the laminate.

The fibers in the nonwoven materials themselves can be made from avariety of both natural and synthetic materials including, but notlimited to, rayon, nylon, polyesters, polyolefins, and many othermaterials. Particularly, in one embodiment, the SMS fabric may be formedfrom polyolefin based polymers, and in one embodiment, the polyolefinbased polymer and/or the SMS fabric includes a polypropylene and randomco-polymer (RCP) resin(s). The fibers may be relatively short, staplelength fibers, typically less than three inches, or longer andsubstantially more continuous fibers such as are produced by spunbondingand meltblowing processes.

For example, FIG. 1a illustrates a SMS laminate 200 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. The SMS laminate 200 includes afirst spunbond layer 148, a meltblown layer 150, and a second spunbondlayer 152. In one embodiment, the first spunbond layer 148 and thesecond spunbond layer 152 may be formed from the same or similar polymercomposition, such as one of the polymer compositions discussed above. Inan additional or alternative embodiment, the first spunbond layer 148and the second spunbond layer 152 may be formed from different polymercompositions, or may contain one or more additives in the compositionthat differ as between the first spunbond layer 148 and the secondspunbond layer 152. Additionally, while the first spunbond layer 148 isdescribed as the “first layer”, first spunbond layer 148 may serve asthe inner or outer surface of the laminate. Similarly, the second layer152, while described as the second layer, may also serve as either theinner or outer surface of the laminate.

Regardless of the form or composition of the SMS laminate 200 used, aSMS laminate 200 according to the present disclosure may have asurfactant introduced thereto. In one embodiment, the surfactant may bea cationic or anionic surfactant. Regardless of the type of surfactantchosen, it may be desirable to select a surfactant that is compatiblewith antistatic treatments used for nonwoven fabrics. Particularly,notwithstanding the surfactant selected, the surfactant may be sprayedon one or both sides of the SMS fabric, such as by applying an amount ofsurfactant such that the SMS fabric is saturated. At such a time, theSMS fabric saturated with a surfactant is put through standardprocessing for a SMS fabric, including running the saturated fabricthrough rolls and dryers to remove the liquid, leaving the surfactantimpregnated on or in the fabric. For instance, a SMS fabric impregnatedwith a surfactant according to the present disclosure may havesurfactant on one or both sides of the fabric, and/or coating the fibersforming the fabric through all three layers, or a portion of fibers fromeach of the three layers, or only coating the fibers of one or morelayers of a fabric formed from a SMS laminate 200 according to thepresent disclosure. Therefore, as the surfactant is to undergoprocessing along with the SMS fabric after incorporation, it would bedesirable to select a surfactant that is compatible with processes forproducing SMS fabrics, such as antistatic treatments.

Thus, in one embodiment, the surfactant may include one or more anionicsurfactants, cationic surfactants, or a combination thereof. Anionicsurfactants may include mono and dialkyl sulfosuccinates, alkylsulfates, sulfonates such as alkyl, aryl, benzene, alkyl ether, andolefin sulfonates, alkyl ether sulfates, alcohol and alcohol ethersulfates, phosphates such as alkyl phosphates and phosphate ethers,alkyl and alkyl ether carboxylates, fatty carboxylates, alkyl andethoxylated alkyl phosphate esters, taurates, and a combination thereof.In one embodiment, a cationic surfactant, used alone or in combination,may be a dialkyl sulfosuccinate or salt thereof, such as a dialkylsulfosuccinate sold under the trade name DOSS-70D.

Surfactants according to the present disclosure may also includecationic surfactants such as quaternary ammonium compounds, fattyalcohol ethoxylates, alkylene glycol surfactants, or a combinationthereof.

Additionally, the surfactant(s) may be applied as part of a surfactantcomposition that includes a carrier or solvent. In one embodiment, thecarrier or solvent may be water, or alternatively, may be anothercarrier or solvent as generally known in the art which is compatiblewith a SMS fabric according to the present disclosure. Additionally,while not necessary, in some embodiments, the surfactant composition mayalso include various additives as known in the art, such as anantifoaming additive, for example, to minimize foaming of the surfactantwhen added to the carrier or solvent.

Particularly, as may be generally known in the art, a surfactant is usedto reduce the surface tension of a liquid, increasing the liquid'sspreading and wetting properties. The present inventors have found thatwhen a surfactant composition is applied to a SMS fabric in an amountsufficient to saturate the fabric, for example, and then dried, thefabric may display wetting and absorbency properties, even when the basefabric is hydrophobic or has hydrophobic properties prior to applicationof the surfactant. For instance, surfactants are polar molecules thathave a hydrophilic end and a hydrophobic end. When introduced to a SMSlaminate or fabric according to the present disclosure, the hydrophobicends may orient themselves on the fibers of the SMS fabric or laminate,coating all or a portion of the fibers of the SMS fabric or laminate,leaving the hydrophilic ends available to receive fluid coming intocontact with the fabric. The hydrophilic ends may also reduce thesurface tension of the fluid coming into contact with the fabric byovercoming the adhesion of the fluid to itself (e.g., surface tension),causing a spreading out of droplets and dispersion of the fluid over thesurface of the fabric.

For instance, when an SMS fabric or laminate has been saturated with asurfactant, and then dried, the carrier or solvent may be evaporatedwhile the surfactant is retained on the fabric or laminate, coating thefibers of the SMS fabric or laminate with the surfactant as discussedabove. For example, referring to FIG. 1b , a SMS laminate 200, which asdiscussed above may form all or a portion of a wettable SMS fabricaccording to the present disclosure, having a first spunbond layer 148,a meltblown layer 150, and a second spunbond layer 152, further includesa surfactant 154. The surfactant 154 has coated the SMS laminate 200(such as coating the fibers thereof in one embodiment), and was appliedin a manner sufficient to coat all three layers of SMS laminate 200. Insuch an embodiment, the fibers from all or a portion of each of thelayers may be coated with a surfactant, such that a continuous path ofcoated fibers (e.g., a coated fiber or section of fibers from one layeris adjacent to, or in contact with, a coated fiber or section of fibersin an adjacent layer) is formed between the first spunbond layer 148,meltblown layer 150, and second spunbond layer 152, as may be shown inFIG. 1 b. However, while FIG. 1b shows a SMS laminate 200 that hascontinuous paths of coated fibers throughout the entire laminate 200,which as discussed above, may be a fiber or portion of fibers inadjacent layers that form a continuous path of coated fibers from thefirst spunbond layer 148 to the meltblown layer 150 to the secondspunbond layer 152, or vice-a-versa, in one embodiment, a SMS fabricaccording to the present disclosure may only have portion of the fabricthat has continuous coated fiber portions, and the other portion(s) mayonly be partially coated, or may be uncoated. As such, after drying, thesurfactant may be present on or in the SMS fabric in an amount of fromabout 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, such as from about 0.5 wt. % to about18 wt. %, such as from about 1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % based upon theweight of the wettable SMS fabric.

Regardless of the surfactant or combination of surfactants selected,and/or the materials used to form the wettable SMS fabric, the presentinventors have unexpectedly found that the wettable SMS fabric, aftertreatment with the surfactant, displayed excellent absorbencyproperties. For instance, in one embodiment, the wettable SMS fabricaccording to the present disclosure may be capable of absorbing anamount of a liquid that is from about 1.5 times to about 4.5 times theweight of the weight of the SMS fabric, such as from about 2 times toabout 4 times the weight of the SMS fabric, such as from about 3 timesto about 3.9 times the weight of the SMS fabric based on the totalweight of the SMS fabric. Additionally, a wettable SMS fabric accordingto the present disclosure may have a high absorbent capacity in gramsper gram of the wettable SMS fabric. For instance, the wettable SMSfabric may absorb from about 1.25 grams to about 7.25 grams per gram ofSMS fabric, such as from about 2.75 grams to about 6.5 grams per gram ofSMS fabric, such as from about 3.5 grams to about 5 grams of a liquidper gram of SMS fabric. Additionally, the wettable SMS fabric may becapable of absorbing the amount of liquid up to its absorbent capacityin grams, at a rate of from about 1 second to about 9 seconds, such asfrom about 3 seconds to about 7 seconds, such as from about 3 seconds toabout 6 seconds.

In such embodiments, the wettable SMS fabric may have a fabric weight ingrams per square meter (gsm) of from about 10 gsm to about 60 gsm, suchas from about 15 gsm to about 55 gsm, such as from about 20 gsm to about50 gsm, such as from about 25 gsm to about 45 gsm, such as from about 30gsm to about 40 gsm.

Additionally, the wettable SMS may display good wicking properties, suchthat absorbed liquid may be evaporated or dried off of the fabric, tomove moisture away from the body. Particularly, the wettable SMS fabricof the present disclosure are sufficiently porous and wettable toexhibit capillary action, particularly a capillary action and/or dryingrate higher than that of some cellulose based fabrics, showing that thewettable SMS fabric is able to wick moisture away from a surface and dryafter absorbing a liquid. For instance, a wettable SMS fabric accordingto the present disclosure (tested using AATCC 201, at 37° C., using 0.2mL of water) may have a drying rate of from about 2.5 milliliters perhour (mL/hr) to about 4 mL/hr, such as from about 2.75 mL/hr to about3.75 mL/hr, such as from about 3 mL/hr to about 3.5 mL/hr.

Moreover, a wettable SMS fabric according to the present disclosure alsodisplays excellent breathability, as indicated by having a highpermeability to air passage. For instance, in one embodiment, the SMSfabric according to the present disclosure (tested according to ASTMD737-18 using a 4 inch×4 inch (10 cm×10 cm) sample) may have apermeability to air, measured in the cubic feet per minute of air thatpasses through the SMS fabric, of from about 40 CFM to about 62 CFM,such as from about 42 CFM to about 60 CFM, such as from about 44 CFM toabout 58 CFM, such as from about 46 CFM to about 56 CFM, such as fromabout 48 CFM to about 54 CFM. Additionally, as the wettable SMS fabricsof the present disclosure are constructed of polyolefin-basedcompositions, the wettable SMS fabrics of the present disclosure displaylow linting properties even after 1 year and 5 year accelerated aging,and particularly as compared to cellulose based fabric.

Furthermore, certain embodiments of the present disclosure may be betterunderstood according to the following examples, which are intended to benon-limiting and exemplary in nature.

Particularly, wettable SMS fabrics according to the present disclosurewere tested for their absorbent capacity (and percent absorption) andabsorption rate, results of which are shown in Table 1. Absorption ratewas measured according to TAPPI T 432 using 4 inch×4 inch (10 cm×10 cm)samples, and is an average of 90 samples tested. The absorbent capacityand percent absorption were tested using 90 samples of a SMS fabric witha basis weight of 34 gsm and a sample size of 4 inch×4 inch (10 cm×10cm). The wettable SMS fabric samples were produced from three differentlots to account for lot variability.

TABLE 1 Absorbent Capacity (grams) Average 1.39 Percent Absorption (%)Average 376.6 Absorption Rate (seconds) Average 4.35

Particularly, it was found that, on average, the wettable SMS fabric hadan absorbent capacity in grams of 1.39 grams, or an absorbent capacity(measured as percent absorption) of 376.6% or roughly an absorptioncapacity for the liquid of about 3.75 times the weight of the fabric.Additionally, Table 1 shows an absorption rate in seconds of 4.35seconds of an amount of liquid up to the samples absorbent capacity,showing that the wettable SMS fabric was able to quickly absorb theliquid.

In Table 2, the drying rate of three wettable SMS samples according tothe present disclosure (SMS 1, SMS 2, SMS 3) were tested using the AATCC201, using 15 cm×15 cm samples and 0.2 mL of water, at 37° C. and airflow over the sample of 1.25 m/s, against a more traditional cellulosebased fabric.

TABLE 2 Sample Drying Rate (mL/hr) SMS 1 3.2 SMS 2 3.15 SMS 3 3.3Average 3.22 Cellulose based 1 1.64 Cellulose based 2 1.66 Cellulosebased 3 1.7 Average 1.67

As shown in Table 2, the SMS samples had an average drying rate of 3.22mL/hr as compared to an average of 1.67 mL/hr for the cellulose basedsamples. Therefore, the SMS samples dried almost twice as fast as thecellulose based samples in drying a liquid after it had been absorbed.Thus, a SMS fabric according to the present disclosure may be able towick sweat away from the body of a user, more quickly than a cellulosebased fabric. Additionally, Tables 1 and 2 show the ability of the SMSfabric to absorb a liquid from a surface, (e.g., which may be sweat froma user in one embodiment) and then also dry after absorption of theliquid.

Table 3 shows data resulting from the testing of a total 90 samplessplit between wettable SMS fabric samples according to the presentdisclosure and a spunbond fabric for breathability. For instance, thespunbond fabric may be a spunbond a fabric discussed above formed from apolyolefin, and which may be used in a personal protective equipmentarticle in conjunction with the SMS fabric according to the presentdisclosure. Particularly, as will be discussed in greater detail below,spunbond fabrics may be used to form portions of an article where highbreathability is needed, but high support is not, for instance on thetop of a head cover where instrument support is not needed. Thus, aspunbond fabric may be used alongside an SMS fabric according to thepresent disclosure to form a breathable and light PPE garment. As willbe discussed in greater detail, an article according to the presentdisclosure may be formed solely from the SMS fabric, or may haveportions, such as the crown and sides formed from the SMS fabric andother portions, such as the top, formed from a spunbond fabric.

Thus, the samples were tested according to ASTM Test D737-18 using 10cm×10 cm (4 inch×4 inch) samples for air permeability. In such a test,higher values indicate higher permeability to air passage. Particularly,the results are provided in the units cubic feet per minute (CFM), andthe results reflect a velocity at which air flows out or through amedium. Thus, a higher value in CFM indicates a material that is morepermeable to air, as a greater velocity in CFM passes through themedium.

TABLE 3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Wettable SMS Average (CFM) 52.6 51.2350.33 Standard Deviation 2.61 2.61 2.25 Spunbond Average (CFM) 148.331315.7 1333.73 Standard Deviation 28.54 69.21 135.15Thus, it can be concluded from Table 3, that both fabrics used in a headcover 100 according to the present disclosure demonstrate airpermeability and breathability.

Therefore, the present disclosure has found that a wettable SMS fabricmay display properties that make it an ideal fabric for use in personalprotection equipment.

As the present disclosure has found that a SMS fabric, such as the SMSfabric described above, may be treated to impart absorbency,wettability, wicking, as well as maintaining the known benefits of SMSfabrics, a SMS fabric according to the present disclosure may be used inmany applications in which sweating or the wicking of sweat is desired.For instance, the wettable SMS fabric may be used to form all of aportion of a variety of personal protective equipment such as gowns,head covers, facemasks, and other wearable applications particularly inthe field of personal protective equipment. Additionally oralternatively, the SMS fabric may only be used to form a portion, or alayer (or layers) of an article for use as personal protectiveequipment. In such an embodiment, the SMS fabric may be used to form aninner layer or layers of such an article, while an outer layer or layersmay be a fabric that is impervious to materials such as blood and otherbodily fluids, for instance, barrier fabrics as may be known in the art.

For instance, one embodiment, the article for use as personal protectiveequipment may include using a wettable SMS fabric according to thepresent disclosure to form all or a portion of a head cover. While thefollowing describes a specific head cover for use with the wettable SMSfabric, it should be understood that the wettable SMS fabric may be usedto form any head cover or wearable personal protective garment whereliquid absorbency or wicking is desired. However, reference to FIGS.2-11 will provide one example of a head cover that may be used incombination with the disclosed wettable SMS fabric.

Referring now to FIG. 2, one embodiment of a head cover 100 contemplatedby the present disclosure is shown before the head cover 100 has beendonned and secured about the head of a wearer. The head cover 100according to the present disclosure may be formed entirely or in partfrom a wettable SMS fabric as described above, and may have an anteriorportion 102 that is positioned about a forehead of a wearer and aposterior portion 104 that can be secured about the back of the head orneck of the wearer. The head cover 100 also includes a top surface 106and a side portion 108. In one embodiment, the top surface 106 and theside portion 108 (or side panel 126, which will be described in greaterdetail below) can be joined together at a seam 110 that encircles thecircumference (shown more clearly in FIG. 4) of the top surface 106. Theside portion 108 extends between a first end 112 located adjacent to theanterior portion 102 and a second end 114 adjacent to a posteriorportion 104. Of course, it should be noted, as shown in FIGS. 8-11, thatthe side portion 108 may be formed of a continuous piece of material,such as a side panel 126 that wraps around a head of a user.

In one particular embodiment, the top surface 106 of the head cover 100can be formed from a spunbond material to facilitate air flow andminimize the amount of heat trapped within the head cover 100.Meanwhile, the side portion(s) 108 or the side panel 126 can be formedfrom the wettable SMS material of the present disclosure in order toprovide sufficient structure to support a headlamp or any otheraccessories that might be worn about the crown of the head by a healthcare professional in addition to providing absorbency and breathabilityin areas that tend to sweat or accumulate moisture.

Further, although the head cover 100 is described above as being formedfrom a combination of spunbond and SMS materials, is to be understoodthat the different portions of the head cover 100 can be made from anyother suitable materials that minimize the trapping of heat yet providesufficient structure as needed. For instance, in addition to thespunbond or SMS materials described above, any or all of the portions ofthe head cover 100 can be formed from a woven cotton material.

Additionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the head cover100 may have a height h at an anterior portion 102 of the head cover 100that is less than a height h₂ at a posterior portion 104 of the headcover 100. For instance, in one embodiment, a height h may be a heightsufficient to cover a forehead of a user without obscuring the eyes oreyebrows of a user, or infringing upon the user's vision or line ofsight. In such an embodiment, the height h at an anterior portion 102 ofthe head cover 100 may be from about 7 cm to about 17 cm, such as fromabout 8 cm to about 16 cm, such as from about 9 cm to about 15 cm, suchas from about 10 cm to about 14 cm.

Furthermore, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure, theheight h₂ at a posterior portion 104 of the head cover 100 may have aheight that is greater than a height h at an anterior portion 102 of thehead cover 100. For instance, in one embodiment, the height h₂ at aposterior portion 104 of the head cover 100, may be sufficient to coverthe back of a user's neck, such as to at least partially, if not fully,cover the nape of the user's neck. In such an embodiment, the height h₂at a posterior portion 104 of the head cover 100 may be from about 11 cmto about 23 cm, such as from about 12 cm to about 22 cm, such as fromabout 13 cm to about 21 cm, such as from about 14.5 cm to about 20 cm.It should be noted, that in one embodiment, the posterior portion 104 ofthe head cover 100 can fully cover the nape of a user's neck to providesufficient neck coverage as required by AORN standards.

In one embodiment, a height h₂ at a posterior portion 104 of the headcover 100 may have a height of from about 1.1 to about 3.3 times theheight hat an anterior portion 102, such as from about 1.2 to about 2.9times the height h at an anterior portion 102, such as from about 1.3 toabout 2.35 times the height h at an anterior portion 102, such as fromabout 1.3 to about 2 times the height h at an anterior portion 102.Thus, the opposite is also true. Particularly, if instead, a height h₂at a posterior portion 104 is known, the height h₂ may be divided by theabove multipliers to arrive at a height h of an anterior portion 102 ofthe head cover 100.

Continuing to discuss FIG. 2, a head cover 100 according to the presentdisclosure can have a side portion 108 that may be a portion of acontinuous side panel 126, that extends from an anterior portion 102 ofthe head cover 100 to a posterior portion 104 of the head cover 100. Theside portion 108 may have a contoured portion t defining the bottom edge116 of the side portion 108. However, it should be noted that, in anembodiment where the side portion 108 is a portion of a continuous sidepanel 126 that completely encircles a head of user, the contouredportion t may define a bottom edge 116 of only the side portion 108,such as a portion extending between an anterior portion bottom edge 112and a posterior portion bottom edge 114 of the side portion 108, suchthat anterior portion 102 and posterior portion 104 may each have theirown respective bottom edges (112 and 114) that are not defined bycontour portion t. In such an embodiment, it may be noted that theanterior portion bottom edge 112, and the posterior portion bottom edge114 may be delineated and/or marked, such as by a seam or other marker(as shown more clearly in FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11) indicating thetransition from a side portion 108 to an anterior 102 or posteriorportion 104, or may simply be a point on the side panel 126 with nodelineation (as shown more clearly in FIGS. 8 and 10), such as a pointwhere the height (h or h₂) is no longer increasing or decreasing alongthe contoured portion t, and/or where the bottom edge 116 has no ornegligible slope (as may be shown and described more clearly in regardsto FIGS. 8, 9, and 11). Particularly, while the anterior portion bottomedge 112 and/or posterior portion bottom edge 114 may have some slopebetween their respective first and second ends, (111,113; 115,117respectively), in one embodiment, the anterior portion bottom edge 112and posterior portion bottom edge 114 are substantially horizontal orhave no or negligible slope.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the anterior portion bottom edge 112extends between a first end 111 of the anterior portion bottom edge 112and a second end 113 of the anterior portion bottom edge 112, and theposterior portion bottom edge 114 extends between a first end 115 of theposterior portion bottom edge 114 and a second end 117 of the posteriorportion bottom edge 114. Thus, in one embodiment, the bottom edge 116 ofthe side portion 108 may extend between a first end 111 of the anteriorportion bottom edge 112 and the first end 115 of the posterior portionbottom edge 104, and/or the bottom edge 116 of the side portion 108 mayextend between the second end 113 of the anterior portion bottom edge112 and the second end 117 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114.

Regardless, the contoured portion t may define a bottom edge 116 of theside portion 108 that increases the height of the side portion 108 ofthe head cover 100 when moving from an anterior portion 102 to aposterior portion 104, and decreases a height of the side portion 108when moving from a posterior portion 104 to an anterior portion 102.Particularly, the bottom edge 116 of the side portion 108 connects ananterior portion bottom edge 112 and a posterior portion bottom edge114, using a bottom edge 116 of the side portion 108 that is nothorizontal and/or that has at least some positive slope when movingalong the bottom edge 116 from a posterior portion 104 to an anteriorportion 102 or at least some negative slope when moving along the bottomedge 116 from an anterior portion 102 to a posterior portion 104, inorder to connect the of the anterior portion bottom edge 112, which hasa smaller height h, to a posterior portion bottom edge 114 which has alarger height h₂, in a smooth, continuous, but not necessarily linear,manner. For instance, the bottom edge 116 of the side portion mayconnect the anterior portion 102 and posterior portion 104, in oneembodiment, by extending between a first end 111 of the anterior portionbottom edge 112 and a first portion 115 of the posterior portion bottomedge 114, and/or the bottom edge 116

In one embodiment, the bottom edge 116 may display a change in height ina linear or nonlinear manner. For instance, in the embodiments of FIGS.8 and 9, the change in height of the head cover 100 along bottom edge116 may be roughly linear. Alternatively, such as an embodiment shown inFIG. 2, the bottom edge 116 may exhibit a change in height in anonlinear manner and have at least one change in average slope, such asat least two changes in average slope, such as at least three changes inaverage slope, where the average slope of the nonlinear bottom edge 116may be measured between a starting point and an inflection point, and aninflection point and an end point, or simply at a starting and endingpoint and one or more predetermined points therebetween.

For instance, as generally shown in FIG. 2, the contoured portion tdefines a bottom edge 116 that, beginning at a first end 111 and/or asecond end 113 of the anterior portion bottom edge 112 and moving alongthe bottom edge 116 towards a first end 115 and/or second end 117 of theposterior portion bottom edge 114, has a negative slope that initiallyincreases the height of the side portion 108 of the head cover 100 at avery gradual rate. When a point along the bottom edge 116 is reached,such as the point labeled m in FIG. 2, though it is noted that, point mmay have no physical delineation and may simply refer to a point alongbottom edge 116 such as a point of change in slope, signifying a changein the rate of increase in height of the side portion 108 of the headcover 100, the slope may become more negative, signifying a greater rateof increase in height of the side portion 108 along that portion ofbottom edge 116. Similarly, continuing towards a first end 115 and/orsecond end 117 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114 from point m,the bottom edge 116 may reach a point, such as point 118, where theslope becomes less negative, and begins tapering towards a horizontalline, such as the slope of posterior portion bottom edge 114, signifyinga lessening of the rate of increase in the height of the side portion108 of the head cover 100. Of course, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and asdiscussed above, the bottom edge 116 may also display a generally linearchange in height between the anterior portion 102 and posterior portion104.

Notwithstanding the contoured portion t, the head cover 100 may alsoinclude an elastic strip or elastic portion 120 along all or a portionof the head cover 100. For instance, referring again to FIG. 2, in oneembodiment, the head cover 100 may include an elastic strip 120 onlyalong a posterior portion 104. Particularly, FIG. 2 shows the elasticstrip 120 beginning at point 118 and extending to at least the first end115 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114. The elastic strip 120 maybe integrated into the fabric, where a posterior portion 104 can beformed from a material having some elasticity, or the elastic strip 120may be integrated into the head cover 100 by attaching the elastic strip120 to the material that forms the portion of the head cover 100 whereattachment of the elastic strip 120 is desired either before or afterformation of the head cover 100. In such an embodiment where a separateelastic strip 120 is integrated into the head cover and is not aproperty of the material itself, such as by attaching the elastic strip120 to the material that forms the head cover 100, the elastic strip 120may be attached to the head cover 100 such that the elastic strip 120 ison an exterior surface of the head cover 100 or such that it is on aninterior surface of the head cover 100 (e.g. between the head cover anda user when donned). However, in one embodiment, as will be discussed ingreater detail below, elastic strip 120 may be located along theposterior portion bottom edge 114, and in a further embodiment, may belocated on an interior portion of the posterior portion bottom edge 114.In such embodiments, the fit of the head cover 100 may be improved aspreviously discussed, such as by providing a soft elastic strip that isonly attached to a portion of a head cover, minimizing pinching andmarking from an elastic band (e.g., that encircles a user's head), butyet providing a comfortable and secure fit to a larger number of users.

Thus, in one embodiment, the elastic strip 120 may be attached at point118 which may have a height h₃. The height h₃ may be a height slightlyless than a height h₂ of the posterior portion 104 but slightly greaterthan a height h of an anterior portion 102 of the head cover 100. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the height h₃, of the side portion 108 ofthe head cover 100 where the elastic strip 120 may be attached to thebottom edge 116 of the side portion 108 may be from about 10 cm to about20 cm, such as from about 11 cm to about 19 cm, such as from about 12 cmto about 18 cm, such as from about 13 cm to about 17 cm.

Additionally, in a relaxed state, the elastic strip 120 may have alength l, prior to incorporation into the head cover 100, of from about7 cm to about 17 cm, such as from about 8 cm to about 16 cm, such asfrom about 9 cm to about 15 cm. Of course, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11,in one embodiment, the above ranges may relate to an elastic strip 120that extends from a first end 115 of the posterior portion bottom edge114 to posterior seam 122. Particularly, in such an embodiment, theelastic strip 120, may include two portions, one portion extending fromthe first end 115 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114 towards theposterior seam 122, and a second portion extending from the second end117 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114 towards the posterior seam122. Alternatively, the elastic strip 120 may be an elastic strip 120that extends along the entire posterior section 104 from the first end115 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114 to the second end 117 ofthe posterior portion bottom edge 114, or from one point marked byreference character 118 to a corresponding point 118 on an opposing sideof the head cover 100. In such an instance, the elastic strip 120(whether in two halves or one whole), prior to incorporation into thehead cover 100, or prior to stretching/in a relaxed state, may have alength l₂ of from about 14 cm to about 34 cm, such as from about 16 cmto about 32 cm, such as from about 18 cm to about 30 cm.

Nonetheless, whether the elastic strip 120 includes only a singleportion having the originally disclosed relaxed length l, two portionseach having a length l, or a single portion having a length l₂, theelastic strip 120, when stretched, may have a stretched length (notshown) of from about 1.5 to 3.5 times its relaxed length, such as fromabout 2 to 3 times the length (l or l₂) of the elastic strip 120 in therelaxed state (as more clearly shown in FIG. 11). In such an embodiment,the length l of the elastic strip 120, when stretched prior toincorporation into the head cover 100, and/or in a relaxed state priorto stretching, may be from about 21 cm to about 31 cm, such as fromabout 22 cm to about 30 cm, such as from about 23 cm to about 29 cm,such as from about 24 cm to about 28 cm.

Of course, while the above lengths may be provided for the elastic strip120, the amount of stretching of the head cover 100 may also bedependent or limited by the stretch of the material forming the headcover 100 or any pleats or gussets 124 provided therein. In oneembodiment, such as may be shown more clearly in FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11,the head cover 100 may have one or more gussets and/or pleats 124. Thus,in an embodiment such as shown in FIG. 2 when a head cover 100 is foldedor separated in half along its medial line, such as a line extendingthrough a center of a posterior portion 104 and a center of an anteriorportion 102, the head cover 100 may have a length l₃ of from about 18 cmto about 28 cm, such as from about 19 cm to about 27 cm, such as fromabout 20 cm to about 26 cm, such as from about 21 cm to about 25 cm. Insuch an embodiment, when stretched along line A, (see FIG. 2), the headcover 100 may have a length (not shown) of from about 26 cm to about 36cm, such as from about 27 cm to about 35 cm, such as from about 28 cm toabout 34 cm, such as from about 29 cm to about 33 cm, or alternatively,may be stretched to a length of from about 1.25 to about 2 times thelength of the unstretched or relaxed length, in this case l₃.

Next, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present disclosure from a frontview. The head cover 100 has a top surface 106 and side portion 108 (orportions 108 as previously discussed. The top surface 106 and sideportion 108 can be joined together at a seam 110 that encircles thecircumference (shown more clearly in FIG. 5) of the top surface 106. Thehead cover 100 has an anterior portion bottom edge 112, a first end 111and a second end 113 of the anterior portion bottom edge 112, aposterior portion bottom edge 114, and a first end 115 and second end117 of the posterior bottom edge 114. As previously discussed, in oneembodiment, the side portion 108 is a portion of a continuous side panel126. As such, there is no mark or delineation between the side portion108 and the anterior portion 102 and/or posterior portion 104. Instead,a first end 111 and/or second end 113 of the anterior portion bottomedge 112, may mark the point where the contoured portion t and theanterior portion 102 meet, and/or may be located at an anterior portion102 of the head cover 100 where the anterior portion bottom edge 112 issubstantially horizontal or has no or negligible slope. Similarly, afirst end 115 and/or second end 117 of the posterior portion bottom edge114 may mark the point where the contoured portion t and the posteriorportion 104 meet, and alternatively may be located at a posteriorportion 104 of the head cover 100 where the posterior portion bottomedge 114 is substantially horizontal or has no or negligible slope.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present disclosure from a rear view.The head cover 100 has a top surface 106 and side portion 108 (orportions 108 as previously discussed. The top surface 106 and sideportion 108 can be joined together at a seam 110 that encircles thecircumference (shown more clearly in FIG. 5) of the top surface 106.While the head cover 100 has an anterior portion bottom edge 112 and aposterior portion bottom edge 114, only the posterior portion bottomedge 114, include the first end 115 and second end 117 of the posteriorportion bottom edge 114, is visible from the rear view. A portion of thecontoured portion t is visible, extending to the left of the first end115 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114 and to the right of thesecond end 117 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114. As discussedabove, the side portion 108 may be a portion of a continuous side panel126. As such, there is no mark or delineation between the side portion108 and the posterior portion 104. Instead, the first end 115 and/or thesecond end 117 of the posterior portion bottom edge 114, may mark thepoint where the contoured portion t and the posterior portion 104 meet,and alternatively may be located at a posterior portion 104 of the headcover 100 where the posterior portion bottom edge 114 is substantiallyhorizontal or has no or negligible slope.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the present disclosure from a top view.The head cover 100 has a top surface 106 and side portion 108 (orportions 108 as previously discussed. The top surface 106 and sideportion 108 can be joined together at a seam 110 that encircles thecircumference (shown more clearly in FIG. 5) of the top surface 106. Asshown in the top view of FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the head cover 100can have a circumference C measured around an exterior portion of thehead cover, such as the circumference of side panel 126. Further, inthis embodiment, the circumference C around the portion of side panel126 adjacent to the top surface 106 or seam 110 may be the same orsimilar to a circumference of the side panel 126 adjacent to a bottomedge 116 (not shown in this Fig). However, as may be understood by onein the art and as generally shown in FIG. 10, the present disclosurealso contemplates an embodiment wherein a portion adjacent to the topsurface 106 may have a smaller circumference than a portion adjacent toa bottom edge 116.

For instance, in one embodiment, the circumference C of the head cover100 may be from about 55 cm to about 76 cm, such as from about 57 cm toabout 74 cm, such as from about 59 cm to about 72 cm, such as from about61 cm to about 70 cm, such as from about 63 cm to about 68 cm.Alternatively, in an embodiment where the circumference may be differentat a bottom edge 116 than adjacent a top surface 106, the larger of thetwo circumferences C may be based upon the above recited circumferences,and the smaller circumference may be from about 54 cm to about 75 cm,such as from about 56 cm to about 73 cm, such as from about 58 cm toabout 71 cm, such as from about 60 cm to about 69 cm, such as from about62 cm to about 67 cm.

Next, FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment according tothe present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, a head cover 100 of thepresent disclosure may have an anterior portion 102, a posterior portion104, a top 106, a posterior seam 122, a bottom edge 116, and a bottomseam 128 that joins the bottom edge 116 to the side panel 126 (or sideportions 108). In such an embodiment, the head cover 100 also hasgussets or pleats 124. While a head cover 100 may be formed from amaterial naturally having stretch or give, in one embodiment, asdiscussed above, gussets or pleats 124 may be used to provide folded andcontained excess material that allow the head cover 100 to stretch apredetermined amount in order to fit a large variety of users havingdifferent head shapes and sizes. The gussets or pleats 124 may alsoserve as a mark or delineation at one or both of the first end 111 andsecond end 113 of the anterior portion bottom edge 112, in thisembodiment, between the side portion 108 and the anterior portion 102,or at one or both of the first end 115 and the second end 117 of theposterior portion bottom edge 114, between the side portion 108 and theposterior portion 104. Of course, in a further embodiment, no gussets orpleats are needed and instead, the material may be scrunched in all or aportion of the head cover 100, such as around the elastic strip 120, orthe material may have sufficient natural stretch to enable to head cover100 to stretch to a fully extended stretched position as discussedabove.

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of an embodiment according to thepresent disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, a head cover 100 of the presentdisclosure may have an anterior portion 102, a top 106, a seam (orseams) 110, a bottom edge 116, and a bottom seam 128 that joins thebottom edge 116 to the side panel 126 (or side portion(s) 108). Forinstance, in one embodiment, one or more seams 110 may be used to jointhe top 106 to the side panel 126, for instance, to form a tapered seamor line from the side panel 126 to the top 106 or to better secure thetop 106 to the side panel 126. In such an embodiment, the head cover 100also has gussets or pleats 124. As discussed above, while a head cover100 may be formed from a material naturally having stretch or give, inone embodiment, gussets or pleats 124 may be used to provide neatlyfolded and contained excess material that allows the head cover 100 tostretch in order to fit a large variety of users having different headshapes and sizes. The gussets or pleats 124 may also serve as a mark ordelineation in this embodiment at the first end 111 of the anteriorportion bottom edge 112, which may mark the point at which the sideportion 108 meets the anterior portion 102, in this embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a view of a head cover 100 according to the presentdisclosure that has been separated along the posterior seam 122. Forinstance, FIG. 8 may have a length l₄, which may have the same length incentimeters as either circumference C discussed above. Furthermore, FIG.8 shows a single panel 126 forming the sides of the head cover 100 thathas been, or will be, stitched together at posterior seam 122 or byusing some other method of fastening at posterior seam 122, to form thehead cover 100 that may encircle a head of a user. FIG. 8 further showsan embodiment wherein the contoured portion t has a generally linearcontour. As discussed above, the contoured portion t may be linear ornonlinear, however, such a contour should be selected to be compatiblewith the above disclosed heights and also selected to have a contourportion t that connects the anterior portion bottom edge 112 andposterior portion bottom edge 114 of the head cover 100 while leavingthe eyes of a user and a vision of a user, unencumbered and covering theears, scalp, hair, and nape of a neck, of a user.

For instance, in one embodiment, the contoured portion t may beginaround the first end 111 and/or second end 113 of the anterior portionbottom edge 112 and may have a fairly shallow negative slope so as toslowly increase the height of the head cover 100 from the anteriorportion 102 to the posterior portion 104. In such a manner, the heightof the contoured portion t near the anterior portion 102 and adjacent toa face and/or eyes of a user when in a donned configuration, may be nearthe same height as the anterior portion 102, or slightly greater.However, as the transition continues along bottom edge 116, thecontoured portion may have a steeper negative slope, quickly increasingthe height of the head cover 100 so as to cover the ears and desirably,earrings if necessary, of a user. The contoured portion t may then beginto taper back to a more gentle slope, approaching a slope of zero whennearing the first end 115 and/or second end 117 of the posterior portionbottom edge 114. In such a manner, the contoured portion t may define abottom edge 116 having a change in a height of a side portion 108 of ahead cover 100 in order to cover the ears, hair, scalp, and nape of aneck of a user, without covering the eyes or eyebrows of a user and/orinhibiting the vision or line of sight of a user.

Similarly, and as discussed above, elastic strip 120 may also be used toimprove the fit of a head cover 100 of the present disclosure as shownin FIG. 9. Particularly, FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of FIG. 8 thatfurther includes one or more elastic strips 120. The elastic strips 120may be any material having elastic properties, such as elastics that maybe generally used or known in the art, and may be used as a portion ofthe head cover 100 or may be an elastic strip 120 attached to orintegrated with the head cover 100. Particularly, as discussed above,the elastic strip 120 may end, or be attached to the head cover 100, ata point 118. Such a point may be at a location along the contouredportion t on the bottom edge 116 of the side portion 108 where a heightof the side portion 108 may be from about 1 cm to about 4.5 cm less thanthe height h₂ of the posterior portion 104, or, where side portion 108may have a height equal to any of the heights discussed in regards toheight h₃ above.

In one embodiment, point 118 may be located along the bottom edge 116 ofthe side portion 108, measured from the posterior seam 122 towards ananterior portion, at a distance of from about 7 cm to about 17 cm whenin a relaxed state, from the posterior seam 122, such as from about 8 cmto about 16 cm from the posterior seam 122, such as from about 9 cm toabout 15 cm, from the posterior seam 122 towards the anterior portion102.

In such a manner, when at least one of the contoured portion t of theside portions 108 and the size and position of the elastic strip 120, ora combination thereof are selected according to the present disclosure,a head covering 100 that fits a large percentage of users and also meetsAORN guidelines for coverage may be provided. Particularly, when acontoured portion t, first height h, second height h₂, elastic strip120, or a combination thereof, are selected according to the presentdisclosure, a head cover 100 according to the present disclosure whendonned by a user, may have an adequate or acceptable fit for at leastabout 60%, such as at least about 70%, such as at least about 75%, suchas at least about 80%, such as at least about 85%, such as at leastabout 90% of users who don the head cover 100, where an adequate oracceptable fit may be defined as discussed above.

Additionally or alternatively, a head cover 100 according to the presentdisclosure, when donned by a user, may have adequate head and/or neckcoverage for at least about 60%, such as for at least about 70%, such asfor at least about 75%, such as for at least about 80%, such as for atleast about 85%, such as for at least about 90% of users who don thehead cover 100. Particularly, a head cover 100 according to the presentdisclosure was found to comply with AORN coverage guidelines on at leastabout 70%, such as at least about 75%, such as at least about 80%, suchas at least about 85%, such as at least about 90% of users who don thehead cover.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, and toenable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention,including making and using any devices or systems and performing anyincorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is definedby the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilledin the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope ofthe claims if they include structural elements that do not differ fromthe literal language of the claims or if they include equivalentstructural elements with insubstantial differences from the literallanguage of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal protective equipment article,comprising: a wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabriccomprising: a spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate; a surfactant,wherein the surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant, a cationicsurfactant, or combinations thereof; wherein the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric exhibits a drying rate of fromabout 2.5 mL/hr to about 4 mL/hr; wherein at least a portion of thearticle is configured to be in contact with skin of a user in a donnedposition.
 2. The personal protective equipment article of claim 1,wherein the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric has aweight, and is configured to absorb an amount of liquid that is fromabout 1.5 times to about 4.5 times the weight of the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric.
 3. The personal protectiveequipment article of claim 1, wherein the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric is configured to absorb theliquid from the skin of a user.
 4. The personal protective equipmentarticle of claim 1, wherein the spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminatecontains at least about three layers, and the surfactant is contained inor on at least two layers of the spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminate.5. The personal protective equipment article of claim 1, wherein thewettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric has a permeability toair of from about 40 CFM to about 62 CFM.
 6. The personal protectiveequipment article of claim 1, wherein the wettablespunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric is configured to absorb anamount of liquid of from about 1.25 grams to about 7.25 grams per gramof the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric.
 7. Thepersonal protective equipment article of claim 1, wherein the article isa head cover, and wherein at least a portion of the head cover comprisesthe wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric, and wherein atleast a portion of the head cover comprises a spunbond fabric.
 8. Amethod of forming a personal protective equipment article, comprising,saturating at least one side of a spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS)fabric with a surfactant, wherein the surfactant is a cationicsurfactant, anionic surfactant, or combinations thereof; drying thesurfactant saturated spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric;processing the surfactant saturated spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS)fabric; and forming a wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric,wherein the wettable spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) fabric exhibits adrying rate of from about 2.5 mL/hr to about 4 mL/hr.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the processing step includes at least one antistatictreatment.